Public Health Alert For Maryland Providers

Maryland's Tobacco Quitline, 1-800-QUIT-NOW, is now offering several free key enhancements: counselors available live 24/7; counseling services provided to teens (previously, services were available only to adults); enhanced online support offered through Web Coach®, now including Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT); and a text support program, Text2Quit.

Since 2006, the Maryland Tobacco Quitline has provided free proactive and reactive tobacco cessation counseling, along with NRT to Marylanders. During that time, the Quitline has served over 100,000 residents, and has a 97 percent customer satisfaction rate. Individuals using quitlines have success rates up to seven times greater than those trying to quit alone.

In addition, the Quitline is now offering expanded services to assist pregnant women quit smoking. This new, enhanced counseling program includes more intensive, increased counseling sessions — a series of 10 free proactive calls to registered pregnant women — focusing on the individual needs, obstacles, and barriers of each caller. Calls are strategically placed during the pregnancy and postpartum, with sensitivity to relapse prevention.

More information is available on the Maryland QuitNow Web site and onMDquit.org, which assists healthcare professionals in referring their patients to the Maryland Tobacco Quitline.